This disclosure relates to a system for heating water or other liquids, and more particularly relates to a portable system for heating relatively large volumes of liquid, and even more particularly relates to a portable system for cooking food which offers improved heat transfer to the liquid volume and improved safety for the operators of the system.
Field feeding large numbers of people, such as troops on the move during military maneuvers, or in an emergency disaster, requires that portable equipment be used to prepare food on a large scale. The military has developed over the years food rations which are maintained in a stored tray and need only be heated before there are served. However, when feeding thousands of personnel, the equipment must be available to heat the tray rations on a large scale.
Once such system for heating tray rations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,071. The disclosed tray ration heating system includes a hundred gallon tub heated by a liquid fuel burner. The device is supported on a pair of skids, and requires only two personnel to load it in a vehicle where it may be rapidly transported to the area of food preparation. Once the tub is filled with water, and tray ration containers loaded within the tub, the lid is closed. Heat is supplied along the sides and underside of the tub raising the temperature of the water bath containing the tray rations containers to a temperature approaching 212° F. Once the bath has reached temperature, a temperature sensor turns the burner off, and cycling of the burning occurs to maintain the selected temperature.
The foregoing system of the prior art utilizes a type of heat exchange system which while effective, involves certain manufacturing costs and assembly procedures which are not conducive to mass production. Accordingly, the foregoing heat exchange system has been redesigned in accordance with the present invention.